When the Logan Square Boys and Girls Club announced its departure from its historic synagogue building, the century-old property faced demolition in favor of new development. A trio of developers proposed an adaptive reuse conversion that respected the building’s history while also satisfying the desires of urban dwellers. Talks with community leaders informed the importance of the existing architecture on the neighborhood.
“The team also felt that preserving some aspects of the building’s program would be beneficial to the community as well as future tenants,” says Luke Marczewski of Pappageorge Haymes Partners. “As a result, the pocket park at the southwest corner was conceived to serve as a link to the community and an extension of living space for the tenants.”
The repurposing of the 1920s synagogue transformed the building into 14 one-, two-, and three-bedroom apartments. Judges noted the project “didn’t take any liberties” while utilizing a simple palette and material portfolio.
The yellow masonry and limestone façade of the existing building was left unchanged, and the development team worked with local groups to redevelop the club’s playground into a publicly accessible pocket park. Salvaged brick and limestone from a 1950s annex building were repurposed to construct a screen wall between the park and private units.
Developers also honored the building’s sense of history with the interiors. Marczewski says the team felt capitalizing on the existing interior structure and tall ceilings “would create interesting, unique apartments for city dwellers.”
Existing window openings were extended to add entry doors and bring the window sills to operable heights while oversized windows and open floor plans were used to maximize natural light in each unit. Patios were installed to overlook the pocket park to create connectivity with the neighborhood. The units also feature modern finishes and stainless steel appliances.
